According to Pickens County Commission Chair Rob Jones, the firm conducting the county’s 2012 audit – will not be asked to submit a bid for 2013. That’s because Jones says R.L. Jennings & Associates is months behind completing last year’s audit.

“I’m so frustrated,” Jones said in a telephone interview Friday. “It just boggles the mind. I’m very disappointed that the auditing firm didn’t live up to what they had agreed upon. Let’s just say they will not be receiving a request for proposal for next year’s audit.” The audit was due to the Georgia Secretary of State’s Office this past summer. Jones said it was the firm – not the county – that filed an extension with the state department. “And we were supposed to receive a letter from R.L. Jennings telling us why they asked for an extension but we haven’t received one,” Jones said. “They won’t talk to me. But they won’t be getting the rest of their money until I get a letter.” According to district commissioner Becky Denney, the county received a final draft of the audit last Friday, Nov. 22. “This has been a nightmare that it’s taken this long,” Denney said. According to Denney, the firm will present their audit report at the December commission board meeting on Thursday, Dec. 19.

Comments

Why should the taxpayers of Pickens pay the auditors anything if they didn't do what they were supposed to do on time? If they haven't found something they are trying to keep quiet hey should be in the doghouse with Snoopy.

Would the progress ask the Commissioners why and how much the taxpayers are paying the Westside Commissioner's family rent on the Sheriff's Office and Ambulance Station in Hinton when there is a nice volunteer fire station across the street the county owns? That makes no sense at all.

I would think the contract with the auditor would have some financial repercussions in it to protect the county. Perhaps something where the audit company must repay some of the money we've paid them.